Sound-bar for musical instruments.



Patented June 5, I900. D. R. ROGERS.

SOUND BAR FUR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

(Application filed Aug. 31, 1899.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID R. ROGERS, OF COLBURN, \VISOONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOMAS 0. RYAN, OF WAUSAU, IVISOONSIN.

SOUND-BAR FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,146, dated June 5, 1900.

Application filed August 31,1899. Serial No. 729,043. (No modelfir T0 coZZ whmn it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID R. ROGERS, of Oolburn, in the county of Adams and State of WVisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sound-Bars for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in sound-bars for musical instruments.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction for increasing and condensing the vibration of all stringed instruments in connection with which the bars are employed, and thereby improving and greatly increasing the tone.

With the above primary object in View the invention consists of the devices or parts or their equivalents, as hereinafter more fully set forth. 7

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view of a guitar, showing the inside of the front or belly of the instrument. Fig. 2isahorizontalsection showing theinside of the back of theguitar. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view showing the ends of the longitudinal sound-bar as forced upward and connected to the front of the instrument. Fig. 4 is a detail of one of the transverse sounding-bars, but showing its ends before being forced downward. Fig. 5 is a similar view to Fig. 4, but with the ends of the bar shown as forced to operative positions. Fig. 6 is a View of the longitudinal sounding-bar before its ends are forced upwardly into contact with and connected to the front of the instrument.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 7 ranged across the front 7 at intervals apart and two of the bars 10 arranged across the back of the instrument. It of course will be understood that any desired number of these bars may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. The bars when properly secured are of arch-shaped form and the projecting ends are preferably widened or thickened, said widened or thickened ends being advisably the only portions of the bars which touch the surfaces of the instrument. The projecting widened ends are adapted to be firmly glued or otherwise securely attached to the instrument. Between intermediate portions of the bars 10 and 10 and the front and back of the instrument are tension devices, consisting of small blocks of wood 11, attached to the bars and to the instrument by glue or by any other desirable means. These blocks are a little wider than the space wherein they are inserted, so that when inserted it is necessary to forcethe ends of the bars against the instrument in order to efiect the securing of said ends of the bars, whereby atension'upon the instrument is produced, thereby making it respond more readily to the vibrations of the strings. I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the employment of these blocks 11, inasmuch as, if desired, the same can be omitted and the bars 10 and 10 at intermediate portions may be provided with integral projections to take the place of the blocks and subserve the same function. I prefer, however, to employ the blocks 11, as practice has demonstrated that more desirable results are thereby obtained. The general shape of the bars 10 and 10 is preferably an inverted V in cross-section, the enlarged or widened ends being of similar shape, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, in which figure the block 11 beneath one of the bars 10 is omitted, so as to show the widened end.

The numeral 12 indicates a longitudinal sound-bar,which is arranged lengthwise of the inner side of the front or belly of the instrument and transversely across the bars 10 and parallel to the grain of the instrument, the transverse bars of course being arranged across the grain. This longitudinal bar is preferably, although not necessarily, provided with the end projections and is also provided with an intermediate projection, said projection being indicated by the numeral 13. This intermediate projection extends a sufficient distance to render it necessary topull the ends of the bar to the front of the instrument in order to secure said ends thereto, whereby a tension upon the instrument is necessarily produced and the instrument thereby made to respond more readily to the vibrations of the strings. The arches of this longitudinal bar span the transverse bars and are deep enough to prevent any possibility of contact between the bars when the instrument is vibrating.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings I have shown one of the transverse bars 10 beforeits ends have been forced into contact with the front 7 of the instrument, the block 11 holding said ends free from contact. In Fig. 5, however, the ends are shown as forced into contact with and secured to said front of the instrument. In Fig. 6 I have also shown the ends of the longitudinal bar 12 as out of contact with and unconnected to the front piece 7. Fig. 8, how ever, shows these ends as having been forced upward and secured to said front piece 7.

The several sound-bars herein shown and described may be made of any desirable material, although I prefer that they be composed of either hard or soft wood, soft wood being preferable for some instruments and hard wood for others.

WVhile I have herein shown and described the bars as employed in connection with a guitar, yet I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to that particular application inasmuch as said bars may be employed in connection-with many other forms of musical instruments.

The method of construction of the bars herein described renders them so sensitive to the vibrations of the strings that they fully receive those vibrations and continue the vibrations long after the instrument without them would cease to vibrate.

In addition to the use of my invention in connection with guitars it will be found particularly adapted for various kinds of stringed instruments, such as violins, banjos, and the like. When used in connection with violins, these sound-bars will take the place of the base-bars of violins. When used in place of these base-bars, the sound-bars are made just deep enough to separate the arched surfaces so far from the surfaces of the instrument that there will be enough room to forbid contact between the surfaces when the instrument is vibrating.

In the accompanying illustrations of the invention the bars are shown as affixed to the front and back of the guitar in a certain way. I wish to be understood, however, as reserving the right to affix them in other ways to the inside of musical instruments. As is well known, there are differences in instruments and some might need different bars than others. The general structure, however, in any case is to be substantially that indicated. Again, some instruments might be weak at certain parts and require on that account achange in position of the bars, so that necessarily the bars would not be attached in precisely the same places in all instruments.

By the employment of my improved soundbars the vibrations of the instrument are carried to the bars which vibrate, and on account of the tension devices used in connection with the bars said bars are susceptible of strong and prolonged vibration, which increases the tone and prolongs it. Of course when the ends of the transverse bars are glued down a pull on the surface to which said ends are attached is necessarily occasioned, and consequently a tension is produced, and the front or back of the instrument, as the case may be, responds to the least stroke. When the longitudinal bar is in place and the ends secured, another tension on the front of the instrument and lengthwise thereof is produced, and hence the vibrating capacity almost doubled. Practical test of the invention seems to demonstrate that the vibrations of the bars either react upon the instrument to which they are at tached or that they conduct the vibrations so much better that the vibrations are continued and the soundprolonged much longer than without the bars. It is obvious that this is a very great improvement, especially to all stringed instruments that are played by picking with the fingers, and also an improvement on those played with a hair bow drawn across the strings, making the strings more sensitive, so that they respond more quickly, and increasing the vibrations, thus bringing out all the tones of the instrument and increasing the volume of tone.

\Vhile I have described the longitudinal bar 12 as provided with the intermediate projection 13, yet I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to a projection extending from the bar, inasmuch as, if desired, a block similar to 11 may be placed between an intermediate portion of the bar and the front of the instrument.

What I claim is 1. The combination, with a musical instrument, of a bar disposed within the body of the instrument, and a tension device located at a point between the ends of the bar, and extending from the bar to the front or back of the instrument, the ends of the bar being forced into contact with and secured to the front or back of the instrument against the tension exerted by the tension device.

2. The combination, with a musical instrument, of a bar disposed within the body of the instrument, and having its ends bent at angles and projecting in the same direction from the bar, and a tension device located at a point between the ends of the bar, and extending from the bar to the front or back of the instrument, said tension device being Wider than the projecting ends of thebar, said projecting ends of the bar being forced into contact with and secured to the front or back of the instrument, against the tension exerted by the tension device.

3. The combination, with a musical instrument, of a plurality of transverse bars disposed within the body of the instrument, and a tension device located at points between the ends of each bar, and each tension device extending from the bar to the front or back of the instrument, and the ends of the bar being forced into contact With and secured to the front or back of the instrument, against the tension exerted by the tension dev1ce.

4. The combination, with a musical instrument, of one or more transverse bars disposed within the body of the instrument, and adjacent to the front of the instrument, a longitudinal bar Within the body of the instrument and adjacent to the front of said instrument, and spanning the transverse bar or bars, and a tension device for each bar, each tension device located at a point between the ends of the bar and extending from the bar DAVID R. ROGERS.

WVitnesses:

HUGH C. HURLEY, R. S. HARRISON. 

